Black Saturday is celebrated differently around the world, but in Christian cultures, it is a day of both grief and joy. Find out why this is so from these 30 facts, trivia, and myths about Black Saturday:
1. Black Saturday is a Christian religious observance that commemorates the last day of Christ’s death, which falls on the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter Sunday.
2. For some Christian denominations, this day is the end of the Lenten season. But for the Roman Catholic Church, it is the last day of Easter Triduum, the three-day period that includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday.
3. Around the world, it is called by different names, such as Black Sabbath, Blessed Saturday, Easter Eve, Easter Even, Easter Vigil, Great Sabbath, Great Saturday, Hallelujah Saturday, Holy Saturday, Holy and Great Saturday, Joyous Saturday, Sabado de Gloria, and Saturday of the Glory.
4. There are countries, like Australia, that refer to Holy Saturday as Easter Saturday, which may seem a misnomer as this day is the eve of Easter and the Saturday after Easter Sunday is Easter Saturday, also referred to as Bright Saturday.
5. Holy Saturday is traditionally associated with the triumphant descent of Jesus into hell to proclaim his victory over the devil, sin, and death (Ephesians 4:8–10). This is also referred to as the Harrowing or the Harrowing of Hell.
6. This day is considered by many as the day of waiting for the executed Christ to resurrect from the dead, thus the term Black Saturday.
7. Like Good Friday, Black Saturday is considered a day of mourning. Hence, making noise, like the honking of horns, shouting, karaoke, or listening to the radio is forbidden in some Christian cultures to respect the solemnity of this event. People, instead, are encouraged to observe a day of prayer, reverence, and reflection.
8. Engaging in leisure is also prohibited in some places during this day, like going to movies, shopping, partying, or doing activities that can bring unnecessary publicity to oneself.
9. People in some cultures are also reminded to avoid doing things that could distract them from observing the spiritual significance of the event, such as binge-watching, playing video games, too much social media consumption, or engaging in other activities not related to prayer and meditation, including work, if possible.
10. In many Christian churches, Holy Saturday is considered a day of abstinence from meat in recognition of the death of Jesus. Eating meat on this day is considered indulging in luxury. Hence, abstaining from it is a way for believers to avoid worldly pleasures and focus on spiritual matters.
11. Abstaining from meat during Holy Saturday is also believed to bring sobriety and piety in preparation for Easter. For instance, it is a way to express mourning and repentance, which then leads to joy during Easter.
12. In some countries, Catholics also abstain from eggs, dairy, and other animal products during this Saturday of the Holy Week.
13. There was a time in the early Christian church when Black Saturday was the only Saturday when fasting was permitted. Today, there are no specific restrictions. Some begin from Good Friday till Easter Sunday, while others believe Holy Saturday should not be a day of fasting.
14. During this day, some Christian churches keep their altars and crucifixes unadorned and cover them in black or purple cloths to indicate the solemnity of the event.
15. In Western churches, no Mass was held on Holy Saturday for many centuries to symbolize the suspended state of the original church from the time of Jesus’s crucifixion to the time of His resurrection. The evening Easter Vigil Mass was restored by the Roman Catholic Church and other churches only in 1955.
16. However, many churches have, since the beginning, held baptisms or religious services during Holy Saturday. The Eastern Orthodox Church had never abandoned the vigil celebration.
17. The vigil came from the time when the disciples of Jesus spent the day waiting after Christ’s crucifixion.
18. The evening Easter Vigil may be celebrated by the lighting of fires and candles to signify Jesus passing from death to life as well as the ringing of bells to represent the joyful end of Lent.
19. A symbol associated with Holy Saturday in Christian literature is the Paschal candle. It is made of white wax and signifies the leading of people out of the darkness toward the Easter Vigil celebration. A cross is marked on the candle, which in Christian belief indicates that Christ has been and will always be with humanity.
20. In Mexico, Black Saturday is called Judas Day, wherein effigies of the traitor Judas Iscariot are burned. These effigies are sold by street vendors, who make them as ugly as possible and in varying sizes. There are also effigies for children, called piñata, which is stuffed with candies and hung on patios or in streets or lamp posts. These effigies usually have firecrackers attached to them, which are lit once the Mass of Glory ends. The candies that scatter after they explode are swarmed over by children, who try to get as many as they can.
21. During Holy Saturday, which the Czechs call White Saturday, it’s a custom to rattle keys and burn Judas by lighting up the last holy oil at the church door front.
22. Polish people observe Holy Saturday by blessing food and Easter baskets.
23. In some countries, children use this day to decorate and color eggs for Easter Sunday.
24. Black Saturday is considered a public holiday in Australia, Chile, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
25. It is not a public holiday in countries like Canada, Puerto Rico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
26. Because Christ is dead on Black Saturday, many believe evil spirits are stronger and more powerful during this time.
27. Palm leaves are claimed to drive away evil spirits that may want to cause harm. Thus, in some places, they are hung on doors for protection.
28. In some cultures, children are not allowed to play outside as wounds are said to take longer to heal during Holy Week, including Black Saturday.
29. Traveling is also discouraged during this religious holiday as accidents are thought to frequently happen during this day.
30. Sweeping the floor is prohibited in some Christian cultures as, according to elders, doing this will sweep the good luck and fortune out of their homes.
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